A Girl Like You
by capricornus93
Summary: High School student, Elena Gilbert is trying to go back to the life she once had before her parents died. She finds a friend in Damon Salvatore- the school's outcast, who is dealing with his own problems. AU/AH
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. All characters belong to L.J. Smith & the C.W. Network. No copyright infringement intended._

* * *

Elena Gilbert stood in her bedroom in front of her full-length mirror as she studied her appearance. Warm, doe eyes stared back at her. Thick curtains of long, chestnut hair fell around her shoulders. She wore fitting blue jeans, a white long-sleeved shirt and a thin, red cardigan with a pair of black Converse Chucks to complete the look.

Today was the first day of senior year. Elena had been dreading this day for the last couple of weeks. It was the reason why she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night. She tossed and turned in her bed restlessly, countless scenarios racing through her head as she imagined how her first day would go. She worried what people would say, or worse, would think of her.

Two months ago, Elena's parents, Greyson and Miranda Gilbert, had died in a car crash. Elena and her parents were in the car when her dad, who was driving, lost control of the car. Following the funeral of her parents, her aunt Jenna was appointed the legal guardian of Elena and her younger brother, Jeremy. Packing up all her belongings in Denver, Jenna had moved to Mystic Falls, the town were Elena lived, into the Gilbert residence.

Mystic Falls was a small town which meant that everyone knew about the death of Elena's parents. It made things harder when everyone was aware of the circumstances of your life. When people looked at her, it was with pity. They felt sorry for her and Elena hated that more than anything. The way they stared at her, it was like they were waiting, expecting for her to break down. No, she was determined not to do that. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

Realising she was going to be late if she continued to stand in front of her mirror, Elena walked downstairs.

Reaching the kitchen, Elena paused outside just before entering.

She had to be strong for Jeremy- Jenna too. Jeremy and Elena weren't the only ones who had lost a loved one. Jenna had lost her older sister. They had done enough mourning the last couple of months. They couldn't mourn for the rest of their lives. It was time to start moving on and accepting what happened. Nothing good ever came out of living in the past.

Elena took a deep breath. She walked into the kitchen where Jeremy and Jenna were already seated at the table, eating their breakfast in silence.

"Morning!" Elena announced cheerfully, plastering a smile on her face. She walked to the cupboards to take out a bowl.

A wide beam emerged on Jenna's face. "Morning!" She replied, equally as cheerful.

Elena sat herself down at the table, grabbing a box of cereal from the table. She emptied the contents of the box into her bowl as Jenna passed her a pitcher of milk.

"Hey Jer," Elena said, hoping to get a response out of him. Ever since their parent's death, Jeremy had emotionally withdrawn from them, splitting his time between drawing and seeing Vicki Donovan. She couldn't remember the last time she and Jeremy had actually hung out.

Jeremy simply grunted in response, not bothering to look up from his bowl of cereal.

Realising that this was the most she was going to get out of Jeremy, Elena turned her attention to Jenna. "So, what are you plans for today, Jenna?" She asked conversationally.

"Oh you know, the usual," Jenna replied nonchalantly. "Watching soap operas with a bottle of red wine and a tub of mint chocolate-chip ice cream by my side."

Elena raised an eyebrow at her response.

Jenna's face remained impassive before she erupted into laughter. "I wish. Unfortunately, I have to work on my anthropology thesis. I'm driving to the University today to visit my thesis supervisor."

Elena managed a slight chuckle. "Watching soap operas, sipping wine and eating ice cream sounds pretty great right now," she said with a wistful sigh as she took a bite of her cereal. Jenna laughed heartily.

"Watching soap operas and eating ice cream, you mean. I haven't forgotten you're underage." She winked at Elena.

Jenna cleared her throat, her expression turning serious. "Joking aside, I wanted to have a chat with you two before you leave for school."

Elena paused, her spoon in her mouth. She already knew what Jenna was going to say. Truth be told, she had been expecting this conversation ever since Jenna had moved in her and Jeremy.

Jenna took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully.

"Ever since your parents death, things have been hard. Not just emotionally but financially too. I want you guys to know that all we have is each other now. God knows, we'll fight and say things we don't mean but at the end of the day we're a family. We have to stick together. Losing your parents is something you two should never have had to go through in the first place. You guys have been so strong throughout this whole ordeal, but as sad as this situation is, life has to go on. I want you to try your best in school. I'm not asking you guys to be A-grade students but the only way you can make a future for yourself is if you work hard. Your parents would want that for you- I want that for you. I guess what I'm trying to say is-"

Jeremy pushed his bowl away, abruptly standing up. He grabbed his backpack off the ground and walked out the kitchen without a single word.

"Jeremy, wait!" Elena called out, contemplating whether or not to run after him. She decided it would be best to give him some space.

"Don't I get a goodbye?" Jenna yelled out. She was rewarded with the door slamming.

"He hates me," Jenna said with a sigh, slumping into her chair.

"Don't be silly Jenna, he doesn't hate you."

"That's not what he said last night," Jenna grumbled.

"He only said that because you stopped him from going out with Vicki last night," Elena pointed out.

"It's not my fault I don't trust that girl. She's a bad influence on Jeremy." Jenna immediately groaned at her comment, sinking her face into her hands. "Sorry, I know she's Matt's sister and all."

Elena sighed at the mention of Matt. Jenna wasn't aware of what had happened between her and Matt. "Believe me, I'm not her biggest fan, but Jeremy really seems to like her."

Jenna crinkled her nose in distaste. "What's she doing with a 15 year old anyway?"

Elena shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows?" She glanced at her watch on her wrist. "I should get going, I don't want to make Jeremy and I late."

Elena stood up from the table which prompted Jenna to do the same. Walking over to where Elena stood, Jenna enveloped her arms around her in a comforting hug.

"Be strong," Jenna said to Elena.

Elena smiled weakly. "I'll try my best," she whispered.

* * *

Elena pulled up to the parking lot of _Mystic Falls High School._ She cut the engine of the car off. Taking off her seat belt and turning to Jeremy she asked him, "Will you be okay?"

Jeremy looked out the window, staring at the swarm of students that passed by.

He didn't say anything which left Elena unsure whether he had heard her. She was about to repeat the question when he spoke.

"I don't see myself ever being okay," he said quietly.

Elena's heart sunk at his response. She hated seeing her brother like this. Jeremy had taken their parent's death the hardest. She bit her lip, unsure how to respond to something like that.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jeremy," she began before he shrugged off her shoulder. He opened the door, slamming it loudly, before stalking out of the car.

Elena sat back in her car seat, massaging her temples with her fingers. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

Elena trudged towards the school gates, purposely taking her time. She had half a mind to run back to her car and drive back home. She knew that wouldn't be solving any problems, though. Running away wouldn't do her any good. Getting through the first day of school was like ripping off a band-aid- she preferred to get it over and done with quickly.

"Elena!" A feminine voice squealed loudly. Elena whirled around to find her best friend, Caroline Forbes, waving her arms wildly at her. Her blonde curls bounced around her shoulders as she skipped to Elena. She pulled her into a tight embrace, taking Elena by surprise.

"Caroline, you're squeezing me a little too tight," Elena said, her voice muffled against Caroline's shoulder.

Caroline immediately let go, erupting into a fit of giggles. "I can't help it that I missed my friend so much. You've barely hung out with us ever since..."

Caroline immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's fine," Elena interrupted, smiling weakly.

"Let's go meet up with everyone else," Caroline said, effectively changing the subject. She linked her arms with Elena, dragging Elena to the rest of their friends.

Elena stopped in her tracks, which prompted Caroline to do the same. "Uh, I think I'm gonna go straight to class."

Caroline's bottom lip pouted. "Everyone wants to see you. It'll only be for a couple of minutes, I promise." She beamed at Elena.

Elena sighed, allowing Caroline to lead the way. Once Caroline had made her mind up, there was no changing it.

Elena spotted her friends in the distance. Bonnie Bennett, Matt Donovan, Tyler Lockwood and his cousin Mason Lockwood stood in a circle, engaged in conversation. Every couple of seconds they would erupt into laughter over a joke one of them had made.

"Hey guys," Elena announced, once she and Caroline had approached the group. They all stopped talking and turned their attention on her. Elena gulped, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. Mason Lockwood was the first to talk.

"Good to see you Elena," he said, smirking as he shamelessly eyed her up and down.

Elena bit back a remark. She and Mason weren't friends- in fact far from it. Elena could count the number of times Mason had said something to her that wasn't sexually suggestive on her hand. Elena only tolerated him because he was Tyler's cousin. In order to be polite, she muttered a weak "hello" to him, giving him a small smile which didn't reach her eyes.

Bonnie came up to Elena and wrapped her in a firm hug. "We missed you."

"I missed you guys too," Elena said honestly. Caroline was right, she had barely hung out with them ever since her parents funeral. It wasn't that they didn't want to hang out with her- they did, but whenever they invited her somewhere, Elena always found herself making excuses as to why she couldn't come. She couldn't ignore the guiltiness which always crept up on her whenever she told them no.

"Hey Gilbert," Tyler said, lightly punching her on the arm.

Caroline rolled her eyes in annoyance. "She has a first name, you know."

"I'm aware of that, Forbes," Tyler replied smugly.

Elena managed a small smile, knowing Tyler's comment would only serve to annoy Caroline further.

She was right as Caroline placed her hands firmly on her hips, scowling as she and Tyler began arguing back and forth.

All that was left to say hi to was Matt. Matt was Elena's ex-boyfriend. Prior to their to break-up they had been dating for three years. They were childhood friends who had grown up together. Elena had broken up with him two weeks after her parent's death. It was their death which had prompted their break up. She had told Matt that she needed to be alone- that she needed time to reflect on things. It helped. It was during their time apart where Elena was able to reflect on their relationship, without any distractions. She had come to the realisation that she loved Matt but she wasn't in love with him. The spark that was once there had long fizzled out.

Elena turned her attention to Matt.

"Hey Matt," she said quietly. Matt simply nodded his head, shoving his hands into his school jacket. His eyes drifted to the ground suddenly becoming engrossed with it.

Elena searched her brain thinking of what she could say but nothing came to mind. What could she say? I'm sorry I broke up with you? She missed their friendship. She had contemplated many times getting back together with Matt, so that they could go back to the way things were before they had broken up. She knew it wasn't right, though. It would be selfish of her to do so. It would only be giving him false hope and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

"I see Salvatore is back for another year," Tyler announced loudly, bringing Elena out of her thoughts. Everyone turned their heads to where Tyler was looking.

They watched as Damon Salvatore emerged from the parking lot and entered the school gates. Damon was a loner who kept to himself. He had no friends- at least none that anyone was aware of. No one knew much about him except for the fact that lived with his dad. In class he was the silent type, not speaking unless he was directly asked a question. Elena recalled having a class with him during her freshman year, only hearing him speak a total of three times throughout the whole year. Though, that could be because he spent more time out of class than actually in class. It was common for Damon to appear in class one week and then mysteriously disappear the next. He was someone who you didn't realise was there unless someone pointed it out to you. He simply faded into the background.

Many rumours had circulated around the school regarding Damon Salvatore. Elena had heard it all. Distributing drugs, getting into fights with street kids and recruiting gang members. The rumours grew more colourful than the last. If Damon was aware of the rumours which constantly surrounded him, he didn't make it known.

Caroline looked at Damon with disgust. "Outcast," she muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Tyler snickered at her comment. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that he turned you down, now would it?"

"No!" Caroline snapped, crossing her arms defensively.

Tyler sniffed the air, grinning widely. "I smell a liar."

Elena rolled her eyes as Caroline and Tyler began arguing again. Her eyes drifted to where Damon was walking. She watched as he made his way towards the doors of the main entrance of the school. He was a few steps away from the door when someone bumped their shoulder into Damon. Elena recognised the person as Nick Mikaelson- the captain of the football team. Nick was a notorious bully who found pleasure in terrorising the student body. From where she was standing it looked like Nick had accidentally bumped into Damon but seeing as this was Nick Mikaelson, Elena knew it was anything but accidental. It was only when Nick stalked slowly towards Damon in an intimidating manner, not stopping until he and Damon were touching chests, which confirmed her suspicions. Judging from Nick's facial expressions it looked like he was trying to get a rise out of Damon. Elena watched with curiosity as Damon said nothing, instead looking over past Nick's shoulders with disinterest. Without warning, Nick used one hand to shove Damon's chest, causing Elena to gasp.

Caroline clapped her hands loudly which made Elena jump. Her eyes snapped back to Caroline.

"Great, so it's settled!" Caroline said enthusiastically.

Elena frowned, confusion taking over her face. "Uh, sorry, what's settled?"

Caroline sighed. "You were off with the clouds again, weren't you? Tyler's parents are away for the week which means we're all going to his house to hang out after class finishes."

Caroline looked around the group, staring at them pointedly. "I want everyone there," she said sternly.

Elena knew that by "everyone", Caroline had meant her. Elena was unsure if she wanted to go. Maybe it would be do her some good to hang out with them. She was growing tired of sitting at home every single day.

Taking Elena's silence as a yes, Caroline began chatting with everyone else as they made plans for transportation.

When Elena's eyes went back to the entrance of the High School, Damon was long gone. Nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Class had finished ten minutes ago and to say Elena was emotionally drained was an understatement. If today was an indicator of how things would be for the rest of the year, she wasn't sure if she wanted to come back. She could practically feel people's eyes burning holes at the back of her head in class. It was hard to ignore the whispers of students. If she strained her ears, she was able to hear her name among the hushed whispers. Teachers expressed their condolences over her loss, people who had never talked to her before were suddenly nice to her. She had lost count of the number of times she had heard someone say to her, "I'm so sorry for your loss." It was the same recycled line and frankly, Elena was tired of hearing it.

She headed in the direction of the library. She needed to get away from it all. The sympathetic stares and the repetitive questions- it was suffocating her. Caroline would be mad with her for ditching them but she would deal with Caroline later. Right now she needed to escape.

If Elena had to guess, she had been to the library a total of six times during her years at _Mystic Falls High School._ Caroline claimed it was "social suicide" to be caught seen in the library, thus Elena and her friends stayed away from it like it was the plague.

She walked inside the library. The elderly librarian who sat at the front desk glanced up, her eyes peeking under her sqaure-framed glasses. Elena smiled politely, the librarian returning the smile. As far as Elena could tell, there was no one here. "Perfect," she thought. Just the way she liked it. Elena headed towards the back of the library where the Encyclopedia section was. It was isolated from the rest of the library which meant people rarely came here. It was the perfect place to write in her diary without the fear of being disturbed.

Elena dropped her backpack onto the floor, seating herself down on the floor and leaning her back against a bookshelf. She took out her diary and a pen from her backpack. Ever since her parent's death, she had taken to writing her thoughts in her diary. She preferred writing her thoughts rather than communicating them out loud. It was easier for her.

Elena opened the diary, flipping to a new page.

_"Dear Diary,"_ she wrote in neat, cursive handwriting.

Her pen lingered above the paper. Where to begin? So many thoughts were occupying her head. She recalled earlier in one of her classes where she overhead a group of girls chatting about what they had done over summer. She listened as they all exchanged stories about where they travelled with their families.

Elena bitterly chuckled. She had spent her summer holed up in her room. It was that or visting her parent's grave. However, Jenna had put a stop to that when, a month ago, she found Elena asleep by her parent's grave. Elena had spent the afternoon, sitting by their graves as she wrote in her diary. She talked to her parents as if she were having an ordinary conversation with them. Thankfully no one was around to hear her. She knew it was silly and people would think she was crazy but she couldn't bring herself to care. The hours flew by as Elena scribbled into her diary, the words flowing from her pen onto the page. Elena slowly felt her eyelids grow heavy with fatigue. Not wanting to leave her parents just yet, Elena shut her eyes hoping to catch a couple of minutes of sleep. It was dark outside when she felt someone jolt her awake. To her surprise, Jenna was standing over her, her face distraught with emotion. Jenna had grown worried when Elena hadn't come home for dinner which resulted in Jenna and Jeremy driving all over town looking for her. It was only when Jeremy suggested that they check the Mystic Falls Cemetary had they found her. Ever since that incident, Elena hadn't been allowed to visit the cemetary. Temporarily, of course. Jenna said it wasn't healthy for Elena to spend so much time there. Elena understood Jenna was only looking out for her but it hurt not being able to visit her parents grave. It was the only way she could be close to them.

Elena brought her pen down to her the paper when a tear dropped onto the page, the ink trickling down the page. _"Damn it,"_ she thought to herself.

She would not cry. She had spent two months crying, following the death of her parents. As far as she was concerned, she was all cried out. She bit her cheek, willing herself to not cry. Tears gathered in the ducts of her eyes, threatening to spill.

Elena placed her diary and pen onto the floor next to her. Bringing her knees up to her chest and burying her face in her hands, a loud sob escaped her lips. She shut her eyes tightly as tears spilled down her cheeks, wetting them. Her parents death had left a hole in her heart, leaving Elena unsure whether it would ever be mended. Loud, shuddering gasps escaped her mouth as the tears refused to stop. Not wanting to choke on her tears, Elena silently told herself to take slow, deep breaths. She had no idea how long she had been crying when she heard someone cough. Elena froze. Slowly, she glanced up to find none other than Damon Salvatore standing a few feet away from her. Taken by complete surprise, she abruptly stood up, taking her backpack with her. She hastily wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

He wore a worn out leather jacket. The jacket was open, displaying a white t-shirt which clung to his body, showing off his well-defined muscles. He wore black jeans and black combat boots.

"Uh, sorry, I didn't know there was someone here," he muttered, lowering his eyes to the ground. He shifted awkwardly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket.

His eyes flickered back up to hers. His face shifted into concern as he took in her appearance, scruntinising her. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am," Elena said quickly, laughing nervously. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Damon looked unconvinced by her answer. She knew he could tell that she was lying. She was aware her eyes were red from crying, not to mention she was a terrible liar. The nervous hair-tucking was an indication of this.

Slowly, Damon made a step towards her.

He was looking at her sympathetically, like he pitied her. He was no different from the rest. Elena didn't want or need anyone's sympathy. She had received her fair share of sympathy from people today. She couldn't deal with another person feeling sorry for her.

This was all the encouragement Elena needed. Determined to get out of here and away from his sympathetic stares, she briskly walked towards the exit, her feet moving quickly. Unaware to her, one of her shoe laces of her Converse Chucks had become untied. She stepped on the shoe lace.

Elena stumbled forward, closing her eyes as she braced herself for the fall. She was both surprised and relieved when she felt strong, muscular arms, one placed on her upper arm and other on the small of her back, steadying her. She hesitantly opened her eyes, her breath catching in her throat, as she found a pair of blue eyes fixed on her. It felt like his eyes were penetrating her soul, as strange as that sounded. _"He caught me,"_ she thought to herself. She could feel the warmth of his hands radiating through the thin material of her cardigan. Damon continued to stare at her, studying her features carefully. His hands had remained their position, supporting her body. She licked her lips which had suddenly become dry. She had never been this close to Damon before. One second they exchanging words for the first time and the next they were mere inches apart from each other. Elena took the opportunity to study his features up-close. Blue eyes shone brightly, peeking under dark, thick eyelashes. The sharp jawline of his face was clean-shaven, not a hint of stubble present. His full, firm lips were parted slightly as his breathing became shallow. The apples of his cheeks held a slight blush to them. Soft, thick jet-black hair covered his head, strands of his hair falling across his forehead, which left Elena with the strange urge to run her fingers through it. How had she not realised how attractive he was? Girls at her school should be swooning over guys who looked like Damon Salvatore. _"Girls like me,"_ she thought for a brief moment. She wondered whether he had a girlfriend, the very thought causing a jealous pang in Elena, which confused her. They continued to stare at each other in silence, the silence oddly comfortable. The moment was broken when Damon immediately removed his hands from her body, dropping them to his side in an ashamed manner.

Elena temporarily lost her balance, as he let go of her, before quickly regaining it. She straightened herself, tugging her cardigan down which had ridden up.

Damon ran a hand through his hair, his expression troubled, as if he had only just realised what he had done.

"Thank you," she said quietly, not quite sure what had just happened between them.

Damon parted his lips about to say something when he closed them. Instead, his eyes narrowed at her- as if he had just noticed something. His hands went straight to his pants pocket. He took out a white handkerchief, holding it out to Elena in a silent offer.

Elena eyed the hankerchief curiously. Who carried a handkerchief around? The guys she knew didn't carry handkerchiefs with them. If they did, she doubted they would admit to carrying one.

When Elena didn't say anything and didn't make a move to take the hankerchief from him, Damon pressed the handkerchief gently into her hand. Elena's breathing hitched as she felt his warm, soft hands cover her own hand. She was getting far too comfortable with someone that she barely knew. Elena willed herself to remove her hand from his but found herself unable to do so. His touch was comforting and inviting. The last time she had felt like this with a guy was when she and Matt first started dating in ninth grade. As Damon looked down at their hands, his eyes widened. He brought his eyes back to her face, his expression unreadable, and to her disappointment, he hastily removed his hands from hers as if her touch burnt him.

Damon's eyebrows knitted into confusion. Again, he ran a hand through his hair, slightly pulling at it this time. He looked as if he wanted to say something but was conflicted. His eyes held a sadness which confused Elena. Did she do something wrong? Had she done something to upset him?

Wanting to put Damon out of his misery, Elena cleared her throat, her throat scratchy from crying earlier. "I should go."

She didn't stick around for him to reply as she high tailed it out of the library, aware that Damon's eyes were still on her. The handkerchief he had given her crumpled in her hand. She was so focused on getting out of the library as quickly as possible that she didn't realise her diary remained on the floor, completely forgotten.

* * *

**A/N: So, what did you think? Good or bad? I'm eager to hear your thoughts.**


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. All characters belong to L.J. Smith & the C.W. Network. No copyright infringement intended._

* * *

Damon Salvatore lay on top of his single bed, his head propped up by a pillow. The tips of his fingers trailed lightly over a burgundy hard-cover diary- Elena Gilbert's diary. By a strange twist of fate, Elena's diary was now in Damon's possession. The very girl that, whether or not he liked it, constantly occupied his thoughts.

For the past hour, Damon was having an internal debate on whether or not he should read her diary. He knew that reading her diary would be a gross invasion of her privacy but the temptation to do exactly that was literally in his hands. He wanted to know what went on inside the head of Elena Gilbert. As much as he tried, he just couldn't figure her out. Perhaps reading her diary would help him out.

When Elena had fled the library, Damon spotted the diary lying on the floor. He immediately picked it up. His first thought was to hand it in to the librarian at the front desk. However, the more he thought about it, he decided he would personally give her the diary.

Damon had walked by Elena's street plenty times enough to know where she lived. He thought about stopping by her house to give it to her but thought against it. How would he explain to her how he knew where she lived? The last thing he wanted was for her to think he was stalking her. He decided it was best for him to give it to her at school.

Thinking back to their incident in the library, Damon was reminded of how he acted in front of Elena. He sunk his head into the pillow, groaning out loud as he remembered his actions.

Why had he allowed himself to get that close to her? He wasn't doing himself any favours. If she knew what kind of person he was or what kind of family he came from, she run would 10 miles in the opposite direction. It was better if he kept himself at a distance from her, where she had no reason to have an opinion on him. No, he could not get close to Elena. If he did, he knew one thing was certain- it would not end well. He knew if he fell in too deep, he would never be able to get out.

It didn't help matters that every time he opened his mouth to say something to her, he would shut it immediately. Damon wasn't much of a talker but he found himself tongue-tied in the presence of Elena Gilbert. She probably thought he was an idiot who couldn't speak more than two sentences.

When he first saw Elena sitting on the floor in the library, Damon couldn't believe his eyes. He was surprised to say the least. He wondered what she was doing here without her group of friends. He rarely saw her without them, especially Caroline Forbes. She and Elena stuck together like glue. Maybe she wanted some space? Considering what had happened to her parents, he doubted the last thing she wanted was to be surrounded by people.

Like the rest of Mystic Falls, Damon had heard about happened to Elena's parents. He had read about their death in the Mystic Falls Gazette. It was front-page news. He hadn't known her parents but from what he could tell, they were well-liked, respectable people. After their death, Damon had spotted Elena a few times walking in the Town Square with a young woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. He assumed she was a family relative. Many times he thought about approaching Elena to say he was sorry for her parent's death but when push came to shove, he would change his mind.

As he saw her sitting on the floor of the library, Damon's first thought was to turn around and leave before she noticed him. He noticed that her knees were brought up to her chest and that her face was buried in her hands. He deduced that she had come to the library to have some space which he didn't want to intrude on. What other reason was there? On a second thought, maybe she wanted someone to talk to? There was no harm in talking to her, right? He wasn't stupid enough to allow himself to get close to anyone. The truth of the matter was that Damon wasn't good at making friends. He distanced himself from people because he knew if they found out what his life was truly like, he would be judged for it. As it was, he had enough people judging him in his life. If Elena didn't want to talk, that was fine with him. He would be content by simply sitting with her in silence. Damon longed for friendship and he would take it in any form.

Seeing as Elena remained completely oblivious to his presence, Damon realised that he was going to have to make the first move. He coughed, hoping it would get her attention.

When Elena brought her head out of her hands, he was at a loss for words. She was looking at him with wide eyes, the surprise evident in her eyes. The reality of what he was about to do was sinking in. Here he was, standing in front of Elena Gilbert. Countless times he imagined in his head what it would be like to talk to her and the moment he had the opportunity to do so, he wasn't able to form words. His head urged him to ask her if she wanted some company but he found himself unable to say the words out loud. Instead, he pretended to be fascinated with the floor as he muttered a lame apology about not knowing there was anyone here.

Reluctantly, his eyes flickered up to Elena's face. As his gaze swept her face, he noticed her eyes were red and that her face was damp. It suddenly dawned on him that she had been crying. He felt his heart drop in the pit of his stomach at the realisation.

He found his feet moving closer towards her. He wanted nothing more than to wipe away her tears with the pads of his thumb. He had never seen Elena Gilbert cry before but he knew in that moment he never wanted to see her like that again.

To his disappointment, she immediately bolted, heading for the exit. She was leaving? During her brisk steps to the exit, Damon noticed the shoe laces of one of her shoes was untied. Watching as she stepped on her shoe lace, he anticipated her fall. He reacted immediately- not thinking twice about it. It was pure instinct. Damon's feet moved rapidly as he caught her swiftly in time before her face made contact with the floor.

The second Elena opened her eyes, Damon found himself unable to think straight. Large eyes were gazing curiously at him- it was more than enough to render him speechless. His eyes studied her features as he committed it to memory. Dark, chestnut hair, which he wanted to tangle his fingers in, framed her heart-shaped face. Pools of doe-like eyes were filled with warmth and a hint of sorrow. Dark eyelashes brushed gently against her cheek as she blinked. Her eyebrows were shaped in a perfect arch. Damon's eyes drifted to her soft, pink lips. He wondered for a split second what her lips would feel like against his. Were they as soft as he imagined them to be? He noticed the tip of her dainty nose was red from crying. An alluring scent of lavender and jasmine filled his nostrils. Her scent.

Damon felt his muscles stiffen as a warning light went off in his head. What was he doing? He could not allow himself to get close to Elena Gilbert- it was not an option. He was no good for her.

Wanting to put a distance between them, he pulled away from her abruptly, releasing his hold on her.

Hearing her say "Thank you," Damon wanted to explain himself. He parted his lips to say something but thought against it. He was no good with words. He would either end up saying the wrong thing or she would misinterpret it. No, it was better if he kept his mouth shut.

It was then he noticed her cheeks were still damp. Reaching into the pockets of his leather jacket, he took out a handkerchief. He always carried one with them. He held it out to her, waiting for her to take it. Instead, she made no move to take it from him. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Did she not trust him?

He didn't think twice about his next actions. He gently took her hand, pressing the handkerchief into it. He immediately regretted the decision.

When Damon glanced down to their hands, his eyes widened as he realised just how intimate the gesture was. He hastily removed his hands from her. What was wrong with him? He should know better than to allow himself to be in such in a vulnerable position with someone, let alone Elena Gilbert. Damon knew better than anyone else that vulnerability was a dangerous thing. It allowed people to take advantage over you.

Damon pulled at his hair, slightly wincing at the pain. Whenever he found himself frustrated, he would pull his hair. It was a bad habit of his which he picked up at a young age from his father.

He felt the need to explain himself to Elena. However, before he could say or do anything, Elena muttered something about having to leave before bolting to the door. Her speedy exit left him alone, wondering what the hell had just happened.

Damon's encounter with Elena made him wonder if she knew his name. He chuckled humourlessly at the thought. He guessed no. If she did, she never acknowledged or gave him any indication that she did. Girls like Elena Gilbert did not notice guys like him. She hung out with guys like Matt Donovan, Tyler Lockwood and Mason Lockwood who came from respectable families unlike his sorry excuse for a family and weren't so screwed up, like he was. Elena probably had no idea he even existed until their encounter in the library, never mind the fact that they once shared a class in freshman year. He was forgettable- nothing more, nothing less.

Releasing a sigh, Damon glanced down at the diary which was still in his hands. What harm could one glance do? Elena wouldn't know- he wasn't stupid enough to tell her.

His thoughts solely on her, Damon recalled the first time he noticed Elena Gilbert. _Really_ noticed her.

* * *

_It was the first day of freshman year. Damon sat alone at the back of maths class, drawing cartoons in the front of his maths book. The teacher had yet to arrive which meant the classroom was full of rowdy students who were out of their seats as they chatted excitedly to one another. Damon paid no attention to them, immersed in his own world as he carried on drawing his favourite cartoons._

_A loud noise caused Damon to jump up in his seat. His head bolted up in time to see Caroline Forbes barge in through the door, clutching a handful of textbooks to her chest._

_"Caroline!" Elena Gilbert shouted out, cupping her hands around her mouth. She was seated two rows in front of Damon. He watched as Elena waved her arms frantically at Caroline._

_"Sit here!" She yelled out over the loud students, pointing to an empty seat next to her._

_Caroline grinned widely, eagerly waving back at Elena. She made her way towards her row, carefully manuevering herself around the students who stood in the aisle as they chatted to their friends._

_Out of the corner of his eye, Damon saw Nick Mikaleson who was seated in the row in front of Elena. Nick's eyes were glued to Caroline as he watched her movements. Damon noticed Nick subtly stick his foot out from his desk just as Caroline was a few steps from approaching his row._

_There was no time for Damon to shout out a warning when Caroline tripped over Nick's foot, landing on the floor with a loud thud. Her books tumbled onto the ground with her, her knees making contact with the solid floor. Caroline's bottom lip quivered, clearly on the verge of tears._

_"Caroline!" Damon heard Elena shout out. Elena jumped out from her seat and rushed over to Caroline. She kneeled down to her. He watched as Elena placed an arm over Caroline's shoulders and talked to her in hushed whispers, comforting her. Caroline's face was red as tears began to fall down her face. She whimpered as Elena gently rubbed her left knee. They continued to talk in hushed whispers before Elena abruptly stood up. A glare was evident on her face._

_She spun around in Nick's direction. She was glowering at him, her lips pursed and her nostrils flaring._

_"Get up," she told him. Her tone was calm, yet indifferent._

_Nick was leaning back into his chair in a relaxed state, his hands placed casually behind his head. He was clearly amused, the corners of lips upturning into a smug grin. "Well, if it isn't Little Miss Gilbert to the rescue."_

_"Get up," she repeated, a hint of exasperation lacing her voice._

_Nick laughed boisterously. "Excuse me?"_

_"Do you have a hearing problem? I said get up," she snapped at him._

_The classroom fell silent as the students watched the interaction with eager eyes._

_The smirk on Nick's face disappeared instantly. He pushed his seat out, standing up. Rolling up his sleeves, he stalked over to where Elena currently stood. He stopped until he towered over Elena. He was a good foot taller than her but she did not back down. Instead, she raised her chin up in defiance, daring to look him straight in the eyes._

_Lowering his voice, Nick told her menacingly, "I don't hit girls but if I were you I'd apologise to me right now."_

_Elena scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "If you think you're going to get an apology from me then you must be dreaming."_

_"I'm giving you a chance, Gilbert," he warned. "If you don't apologise to me right now then you'll be sorry."_

_"You're nothing but a bully who uses intimidation and other people's fear to get what you want," Elena spat out in disgust._

_"You don't know anything about me," he retorted._

_"What makes you think you can treat people like that?" She asked indignantly. Her hands which hung by her sides were closed up into fists, indicating her exasperation._

_"How I treat people is none of your business," Nick stated arrogantly._

_"It is my business when it involves my friend. You hurt Caroline." Using her hands, Elena motioned to Caroline who, upon the mention of her name, hung her head low._

_"Apologise to her," Elena demanded._

_"Bite me," Nick snapped._

_Upon hearing Nick's comment, Elena's demeanor changed. The glower on her face no longer visible. Relaxing her hands, she tilted her head to the side. Smiling sweetly at him she responded, "I could do better than that."_

_Nick scoffed at Elena's comment but the look of bewilderment in Nick's eyes was a clear indication that her comment had slightly unnerved him._

_Without warning, Elena brought her foot up, bringing it down onto Nick's foot. A loud cry emitted from Nick. He clutched his foot in both hands, hopping up and down on one foot. His face was twisted in pain. He clumsily hopped back to his seat, collapsing onto it. Elena followed him to his seat. Nick looked up at her, his eyes wide in what looked to be fear. Damon could have sworn he saw Nick cower._

_Elena bent her knees, lowering herself, until she and Nick were face-to-face. "If I see you do that to Caroline again, I'll kick you where it hurts most. Got it?"_

_Nick's eyes were glued to the floor, nodding weakly as he mumbled something which Damon was unable to make out._

_Satisfied by Nick's response, a triumphant smile emerged on Elena's face. She turned her back on Nick, making her way to Caroline who was no longer sprawled on the floor._

_A hint of a smile played on Damon's lips as he watched the entire scene unfold in front of his eyes. Who knew? Elena Gilbert was full of surprises._

* * *

Damon smiled fondly at the memory. No one had ever stood up to Nick Miakelson before. They were too afraid to out of fear of what Nick would do to them in retaliation. People feared him. Not Elena Gilbert, though. She confronted him head-on. Granted, Nick Mikaelson was still an asshole but it was immensely satisfying to see him shaken up. Damon wasn't Nick's biggest fan and he was aware the feeling was mutual.

Ever since that incident in freshman year, Damon watched Elena from afar. He found himself intrigued by her. He admired the loyalty she had when it came to her friends. Strangely enough, Elena Gilbert was the first girl he had taken an interest in. He wanted to talk to her but it was near impossible when she had the likes of Caroline Forbes constantly with her 24/7. Not literally, of course. What could he do, though? Show up on her door-step, asking if she wanted to hang out?

Unlike the spacious, two-storey house where Elena lived, Damon lived in a small, two-bedroom house. The one-storey house was located half an hour away from the Town Square of Mystic Falls in a run-down neighbourhood. Most of the families who lived here were low-income families, including Damon and his dad. As far as Damon knew, no one at school knew where he lived. The less people knew about him the better. His house wasn't anything to be proud of, let alone his family.

Damon lived with his father, Giuseppe Salvatore. It was just the two of them. Seven years ago Damon's mother had left home, taking his younger brother, Stefan, with her. Damon had not been in contact with the two of them since they had left. His mother had not left any forwarding address or phone number where he could contact them. He had no idea if they were even alive.

Damon knew why his mother and brother left, though. It was because of him. He drove them away. Plain and simple, Giuseppe Salvatore was an alcoholic. When Giuseppe drank, he became a completely different person. A person who used his family as punching bags. The years before his mother left, it was she who had beared the brunt of Giuseppe's alcoholic rage but Damon and Stefan had also fallen victim to it.

His mother and brother were lucky, though- they escaped. Damon, however, was stuck with his father. He had no choice but to stay with him. Where could he go? He had no money to support himself. He was stuck with his father until he could find a way out of this town.

One day he would get the hell out of this town and not look back twice. There was nothing keeping him here. His mother and brother were long gone and his father was not reason enough to stay here. He would get as far away as possible from Mystic Falls. Maybe he would go to New York. He liked the idea of living in a big city. Once he was gone, that would be it. He would never step foot into this town again. This place held nothing but bad memories for him. He could start a new life. Maybe he would meet a nice girl and fall in love. He didn't know if love was in his cards but he was certain about one thing. If he ever fell in love with the right girl, he would never lift a finger to her. Damon would not make the same mistakes his father made. Hell would freeze over before he ever became like him.

As Damon grew older the beatings had become less frequent. This wasn't to say it completely stopped, however. Over the years, Damon learnt what set his father off when he went on one of his drunken tirades. He knew what provoked him and when to avoid him. Because of this, Damon made it a point to spend as little time as possible in the house. Unfortunately, it was the times when Giuseppe was unpredictable, lashing out at Damon for no apparent reason or motive, which unnerved Damon. Occasionally Damon fought back, throwing a punch here or there but nothing more. He knew if he fought back, really fought back, it would only infuriate Giuseppe who would retaliate by kicking Damon out of the house permanently. If Giuseppe kicked him out, that was it. He had nowhere to go.

There were times when Damon thought he hated his mother as much his father. She abandoned him. He couldn't understand why she had taken Stefan with her and not him. Did she think he was better off with Giuseppe? That was far from the case. Anywhere was better than living with Giuseppe. She had basically left him to rot with his father. Why hadn't she taken him with her? Did she not want him? These sorts of questions constantly ran through Damon's mind. The worst part was that he would never get the answers. He had given hope of ever seeing his mother again. All these years his mother knew where he lived, yet she hadn't come back for him. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to see her again.

A silent yawn escaped Damon's lips. His eyes drifted to the digital clock which sat on his night-stand table. The time read 1:31am. He was alone in the house. Giuseppe was out, presumably drinking away his weekly pay cheque. If there was one thing you could count on Giuseppe for at this time of the night, it was for him to be at a bar or any place where alcohol was served.

Damon felt his eyelids flutter with fatigue. He figured he should get some shut-eye. It would be two a.m. soon and he wanted to catch a few hours of sleep before he had to wake up for school in the morning. He placed Elena's diary on his night-stand. Too exhausted to get changed out of his clothes, Damon was about to switch the light off from the lamp on his night-stand when he heard the sound of a door opening. _"The old man's home,"_ Damon thought bitterly to himself. Sitting up, he swung his feet off the bed.

He strode into the living room in time to see Giuseppe stumble in through the front door, clearly intoxicated. His dishelleved appearance was indicative of this. Damon cleared his throat, announcing his presence. Giuseppe's eyes snapped up to Damon's, a look of bewilderment flashing in his eyes before being replaced with recognition.

"Oh, it's you," he slurred, holding onto a coat-hanger for support. A can of beer was held firmly in one of his hands. He raised the can to his lips, taking a large swig from it.

"The one and only," Damon replied sarcastically, folding his arms across his chest.

Giuseppe said nothing in return as he walked unsteadily into the living room. He collapsed onto a small worn-out couch, his feet hanging over the couch.

"Be a good boy and get your old man a beer from the fridge," he ordered.

"There's already one in your hand," Damon pointed out.

Giuseppe glanced down to his left hand which held the can. He guffawed loudly. "You have a sharp eye, boy," he told Damon as he shook the can in his hands. "Go and get one anyway. This one is almost finished."

Damon raised an eyebrow at his request. "Don't you think you've already had enough beers for tonight?"

Damon knew if he allowed Giuseppe to consume more alcohol tonight it would only result in Giuseppe passing out on the couch. It was a common occurrence for Damon to wake up in the morning, only to find Giuseppe too hungover to go to work. Money was tight in the Salvatore household with Giuseppe only working part-time. Giuseppe calling in sick would not help their financial situation.

"I'll be the judge of that," he replied gruffly.

"I'm not getting you one," Damon said firmly.

Giuseppe hiccuped before taking another swig from the can. "Come again?"

"I said I'm not getting you one," Damon stated sharply. He was not going to allow himself to be pushed around by his father tonight.

Giuseppe hoisted himself off the couch, his boots thumping against the hard-word floor. "Get me a beer from the damn fridge now before I knock your front teeth out," he barked out, crushing the now empty can of beer in his hand.

A muscle in Damon's jaw clenched as he refrained himself from saying anything that would only serve to enrage Giuseppe. Talking to his father while he was intoxicated was never a wise decision.

"I'm going to bed now," Damon said impassively. He was about to turn and leave for his room when Giuseppe's words stopped him in his tracks.

"Tell me, how does it feel knowing that your own mother abandoned you?" Laughing boisteriously, Giuseppe continued, "Hell, she didn't even want you."

"I don't give two shits about her," Damon growled.

"Bullshit! She always claimed she loved you and Stefan more than anything in this world- even me," Giuseppe spat out bitterly. "You know, it wouldn't surprise me if she was lying dead somewhere in a ditch. I always knew that woman was fucking useless."

"She's better off being dead than being with you! What kind of woman wants to spend their life with an alcoholic?" Damon shouted out.

Damon was acutely aware their voices were growing louder by the second. He didn't care if the neighbours could hear everything that was going on. "Let them call the sheriff," he thought to himself. If luck was on Damon's side, maybe they would lock the old bastard up in jail for the night. He highly doubted anyone would ring the sheriff, though. Most of the residents who lived in the neighbourhood were involved in illegal activity. Involving the sheriff because of an "issue" like domestic violence was not a risk they were willling to take.

"You don't know shit!" Giuseppe bellowed, discarding the crushed beer can onto the floor. His eyes scanned the room before landing on a lamp which was perched on a small table beside the couch. He picked up the lamp, hurling it in Damon's direction.

Acting on his reflexes, Damon kneeled down in time, narrowly missing the lamp by inches.

Before Damon was able to stand up on his feet, Giuseppe was already in front of Damon. He pulled Damon up by the lapels of his leather jacket, pushing him backwards into the plastered wall.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't knock you out cold on this floor right now," Giuseppe snarled, the scent of alcohol on his breath filling Damon's nostrils.

Damon laughed dryly. Giuseppe's threat was nothing he hadn't heard before. It was a broken record, as far as he was concerned. "Go ahead, threaten to beat me up. It's the only thing you're good at- that or being a drunken, miserable bastard," he spat out.

It was this very comment that struck a nerve in Giuseppe. He brought his fist up, hitting Damon directly in the face. The force of Giuseppe's punch knocked Damon backwards, the back of his head knocking against the wall.

Taking advatange of Damon's state, Giueseppe's fist connected with Damon's face for a second time. Damon slumped to the cold, hard-wood floor, onto his hands and knees.

Unfortunately, Giuseppe was not done with him yet.

A loud cry emitted from Damon when Giuseppe's boot made contact with his ribs. The force of the kick sent Damon onto his back.

Giuseppe kneeled on the floor before Damon was able to get up. He hunched over Damon, straddling him. Using his weight, Giuseppe was able to pin Damon's body to the floor. He encircled his slender fingers around Damon's neck as he put pressure on his windpipe, effectively cutting off his air supply.

"You're a pathetic excuse for a man- for a son. Deep down, you know that's the reason why your mother left you," Giuseppe sneered, the corners of his lips upturning into a malicious grin as he said this.

The only sounds present in the room were the straggling noises made by Damon. The pressure on his neck was excruciating. Giuseppe gave no indication that he was going to release his hold on Damon's neck. It was only a matter of seconds before he lost consciousness. He had to do something before it was too late.

With the limited restraint he had with his neck, Damon slightly craned his neck to the left, looking for anything that could help him. The lamp caught his attention. It remained on the floor, inches away from where Giuseppe hovered over Damon. Surprisingly, it was in tact, despite being thrown against a wall.

Damon stretched his hand out in an effort to reach the lamp. He spread his hand, his fingers reaching out for the lamp. _"Just a little more closer,"_ he silently urged himself.

Giuseppe's vice-like grip on his neck tightened. He was vaguely aware of Giuseppe muttering something but Damon was unable to focus on his words.

The lamp was almost within his reach. To his relief, Damon felt the tips of his fingers brush against the lamp. Using his fingers, he pulled the lamp closer to him. He wrapped his fingers around the lamp, securely gripping it in his hands.

Damon brought the lamp up, striking Giuseppe on the left temple of his head. Giuseppe instantly released his grip on Damon's neck, collapsing onto the floor with a loud thud.

Damon gasped loudly, taking sharp intakes of air. The airways of his lungs expanded with every breath he took. He shifted his head to where his father was and was greeted with a stomach-churning sight. Giuseppe remained motionless on the floor, his eyelids shut. The left side of his temple, including his hair, was matted in blood. A wave of nausea filled Damon's stomach. _"No, no, no,"_ he cried out, pulling harshly at his hair. What had he done? This was _his_ fault.

He blinked repeatedly as the room began to spin on an axis. It felt like the walls were closing in. He had to get out of here. It was like he was being suffocated all over again.

He sat up on the floor, wincing at the crippling pain that was coursing throughout his body. The taste of metallic blood hit his taste-buds. The familiar nausea began to stir in his stomach.

Sluggishly, he stood up to his feet. Each step he took hurt like hell. Staggering into his bedroom, Damon's eyes landed on the burgundy diary. With shaky hands, he picked it up from the night-stand, placing it safely inside his leather jacket.

He walked out of the room into the lounge. He averted his eyes away from where Giuseppe lay motionless on the floor. The stench of blood was heavily present in the room.

Reaching the front door, Damon flung it open, not bothering to close it. He stumbled outside, the cold air confronting him head-on. He could not think straight. _"Have to get away, have to get away, have to get away,"_ he repeated in his head like a mantra.

Damon's feet took him down the narrow path, leading him away from the house. Not once did he look back.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed as well as favourited this story. It makes writing this that much more rewarding.**


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. All characters belong to L.J. Smith & the C.W. Network. No copyright infringement intended._

* * *

Elena lay restlessly in her bed, her feet tangling at the sheets. Following the accident, sleep did not come easy to Elena. Dr. Fell, Elena's doctor, had prescribed her with _Ambien_- sleeping pills to induce sleep. When the prescription had finished, Elena requested a new one, only to be refused. Dr. Fell claimed that she didn't want Elena to become dependent of the pills, thus leaving Elena to her own devices. As a result, she had tried everything from drinking a warm glass of milk, spraying lavender oil on her pillows, playing relaxing music to counting sheep. If an effective method to fall asleep existed, Elena had yet to find it.

The two-storey house was silent. Aunt Jenna had rung earlier in the evening to inform Elena that she planned to spend the night at the Campus and would be back the following day. Taking advantage of Jenna's absence, Jeremy had snuck out of the house leaving only a barely legible note for Elena. Written on the note, Jeremy stated that he was spending the night at a friend's house but he wasn't fooling Elena. She was willing to bet money that he was at Vicki Donovan's house.

Elena had discovered the note attached to the refrigerator. She left several messages on Jeremy's voice-mail, demanding for him to come home. When it became apparent that Jeremy wasn't going to pick up his phone, let alone call her, Elena resorted to driving over to the Donovan's house. She knew that Matt worked at the Mystic Falls Grill on week-nights, which meant that she didn't have to be concerned over seeing him.

* * *

_Elena pulled up to the Donovan's driveway. Switching off the engine, she took off her seat belt and got out of the car. Walking to the front door, Elena rang the door bell as she waited for someone to answer._

_The door flung open, revealing Vicki Donovan standing in tight, low-hung denim jeans and a halter-neck top which sat above her belly-button. Realising who stood on the other side of the door, a muscle clenched in Vicki's jaw as she grit her teeth. _

_"Can I help you?" She asked sardonically, placing her hands on her narrow hips._

_"Is Jeremy here?"_

_"No hi Vicki, how are you doing?" Vicki asked, feigning hurt, as she placed a hand over her heart. "Your manners need work, Gilbert."_

_Elena plastered a cheerful smile on her face. "Hi Vicki, how are you tonight? Is my brother here?"_

_Vicki began examining the cuticles of her fingernails with disinterest. "Is it any of your concern?" She answered snidely._

_"It's a school night," Elena pointed out. "He should be at home."_

_Vicki's eyes snapped back to Elena's, amusement evident in her eyes. "The last time I checked, Jeremy was a 15 year old, not a 5 year old."_

_"I'm aware of that, Vicki," Elena said, exasperation lacing her voice. "But, if Jeremy had asked mine or my Aunt Jenna's permission to go out on a school night instead of sneaking out of the house then I wouldn't be standing here."_

_Vicki sniggered. "Jeremy needs permission to go out? Does he need someone to hold his hand when he goes to the restroom?"_

_"Stop wasting my time Vicki," Elena snapped. "Is he here or not?"_

_"I don't have to answer to you," Vicki retorted._

_Elena pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. "I didn't come here to fight with you Vicki."_

_"You're a lot of things, Gilbert, but a fighter is not one of them," Vicki said dryly. The corners of her lips upturned in a spiteful grin. " I can, however, give you a list of adjectives that you are. Should I start alphabetically?"_

_Elena folded her arms across her chest defensively. "I'm not interested in what you have to say. I came here to pick up my brother."_

_"He doesn't want to see you," Vicki stated bluntly. "So, why don't you take your perky little ass back to your car and drive home?"_

_Elena folded her arms across her chest defensively. "Not until I get my brother."_

_Vicki grit her teeth. "Do you not understand English? I just told you that he doesn't want to see you."_

_Elena peered over Vicki's shoulder. "Jeremy!" She shouted out. "Come out here right now so I can take you home!"_

_"Get the hell off my property," Vicki sneered._

_Elena attempted to move past Vicki. However, Vicki was too fast as she moved speedily to block Elena's entrance into the house._

_"Listen carefully, Gilbert," Vicki said. "Your brother doesn't want to come home with you, so I suggest you take my earlier advice and run along home."_

_With that parting statement, Vicki slammed the door in Elena's face._

_With no choice but to return home without Jeremy, Elena walked back to her car._

* * *

A sigh left Elena's lips as she recalled the incident. She and Vicki Donovan were not on the best of terms. Following Elena's break up with Matt, Vicki had made it known that she resented Elena- it wasn't like she tried to hide it. As a result, Elena made an effort to avoid Vicki. However, all efforts went out the window when her younger brother began dating Vicki Donovan.

Elena flopped onto her stomach as she tried in vain to find a comfortable position to fall asleep in. She had to wake up for school in a few hours which meant that she needed to fall asleep soon if she didn't want to doze off in her classes.

Maybe another warm glass of milk would help.

Untangling her feet from the sheets, Elena rose from the bed. She planted her feet onto the carpet. Spotting a robe which hung on the back of a chair, Elena walked over to pick up the robe. She slipped it on, tying the sash across her front.

Barefooted, Elena padded downstairs into the kitchen. Immediately, she regretted not wearing any slippers as her feet made contact with the cold kitchen floor.

She switched the light on, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the bright light which flooded the kitchen.

Elena walked to the refrigerator. She opened it, taking out a carton of low-fat milk and placing it onto the kitchen counter. Rummaging through the cupboards, Elena looked for a pot in which to boil the milk before finding one. She was about to switch the stove on when she heard a loud knock on the door.

Elena's head snapped to the clock which was perched on the kitchen wall. The time read 3:39am.

_"Now he decides to come home,"_ she muttered out loud. If Jeremy believed that he could sneak out of the house without any consequences then he was sorely mistaken.

Leaving the kitchen, Elena walked down the hallway which led to the front door.

Somehow, it always slipped Jeremy's mind that, in case of emergencies, a spare key was carefully hidden in the soil of a flower pot located on the porch.

The knocking on the door became more rapid. "I'm coming!" Elena called out.

Reaching the front door, Elena unlocked the door.

"You know, the next time you try to sneak out-" The words died on Elena's lips as she was greeted with the sight of a teenage boy that was not her younger brother standing on her doorstep. Her eyes fell on a leather jacket the boy wore. There was only one boy she knew in Mystic Falls who wore a black leather jacket. Damon Salvatore.

"Damon! What are you doing here?"

Damon stood motionless in front of Elena. His head was hung low, his eyes glued to the porch, as his raven hair fell messily across his forehead. Shoulders hunched forward, his hands were shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket.

He did not answer.

Uneasiness began to seep in, leaving Elena anxious- although she would not admit it. Something was not right here. A shiver ran down her spine as a gust of wind swept inside the house. She wrapped her arms around her small frame.

"Damon?" Elena repeated his name, concern lacing her voice.

Damon raised his head to meet Elena's.

Elena gasped out loud, clapping a hand over her mouth as her eyes took in the sight of Damon. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop a blood-curling scream from escaping her lips.

Blood and bruising coloured Damon's face, marring it. There was visible swelling and fresh scratches that appeared to be made by fingernails. Elena's eyes drifted to his white t-shirt. Dried blood, the colour of crimson, stained the front of his shirt. Her heart began to thump in her chest, threatening to burst.

Elena's eyes snapped back to Damon's face. "What happened to you?" Her voice sounded pathetic to her ears, which she hated.

Damon remained mute, his eyes not meeting Elena's. She swallowed nervously, finding herself troubled by Damon's expression. His eyes were vacant- devoid of emotion. It unnerved her.

"Damon!" Elena shouted out in exasperation. It was better to be angry than to be fearful. Hoping to get a response out of him, she gripped Damon's shoulders and began shaking him.

Damon's eyes snapped to Elena's. He blinked repeatedly as his eyes focused in on her. She immediately regretted shouting at him when she saw the expression on his face. The former vacancy in his eyes was now replaced with bewilderment.

"Let's get you inside," Elena said, softening her voice.

It was at this moment that Damon's tongue became free.

"I-I can't c-come i-inside," he spoke, his words coming out straggled and distorted.

Hearing his words, Elena's face furrowed in a frown. Why couldn't he come inside? Was someone out looking for him?

"I want to help you Damon but I can't if you don't come inside."

Damon grunted in response, shaking his head furiously.

"Please," Elena said pleadingly.

She couldn't just leave Damon outside. If she closed the door on him, what would happen to him? It was obvious that he had gotten into some sort of physical fight. It wasn't safe for him to be wandering the streets this late at night.

Elena was prepared to plead further when Damon nodded his head meekly in agreement. Her body relaxed, releasing a sigh of relief. She was unsure what made Damon change his mind but she wasn't about to question it.

Placing an arm around his shoulder, Elena guided Damon inside her house. Using her free arm, Elena shut the door behind her, grateful to be shutting out the cold air.

Elena led Damon into the lounge. Approaching a large couch, Elena carefully lowered him onto it before removing her arm from his shoulder.

"Don't move," she instructed him. She did not wait for Damon's reply as she sprinted into the kitchen.

Heading straight for the freezer, Elena pulled open the door, taking out a packet of frozen peas.

Searching the drawers of the kitchen, she found a clean tea-towel. Wrapping the tea-towel around the frozen peas, Elena exited the kitchen speedily and returned to the lounge.

Reaching the couch, Elena took a seat next to Damon. "Here," she said as she placed the packet of peas in Damon's hand. "Put this on your face."

Damon made no move to lift the frozen peas to his face. He was on auto-pilot. His eyes held the same vacant expression when he showed up unannounced on her doorstep. Grasping Damon's wrist, Elena lifted his hand, which held the frozen peas, to his face.

Maneuvering her body so that she was facing Damon, she asked him, "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"N-nothing h-happened. I fell d-down the s-stairs," he stuttered, the words spewing out of his mouth.

Elena raised a skeptical eyebrow at Damon's response. It was obvious that this was no accident and she was determined to get to the bottom of what really happened. Maybe he had gotten into a fight with a street kid? It was a possibility- she had heard rumours that Damon regularly got into fights.

Regardless of the reason, Elena was determined to get Damon to spill the details.

"Who did this to you, Damon?"

"N-no one. It was n-no one," he stammered, wringing his hands.

Elena softened her voice, "I won't tell anyone." She placed her hand over Damon's, regretting her action as Damon flinched at her touch. She hurriedly pulled her hand away from his.

Damon swallowed nervously. "I-I..." He began hesitantly, his words drifting off.

He lifted his head to Elena's, their eyes meeting. She gave him a reassuring smile, mouthing the words, _"It's okay,"_ as she urged him to continue.

"It w-was my d-dad," he confessed.

Elena was unable to stop the loud gasp which left her mouth as Damon's words sunk in. Damon's dad was the cause of this? How could a parent do that to their own child?

"I don't know what to say, Damon," Elena admitted as she bit her bottom lip.

"H-he was t-trying to s-suffocate me," Damon spluttered, bringing Elena out of her thoughts.

Elena's eyes flickered to Damon. His eyes, wide and desperate, were focused on her.

"Y-you don't u-understand," he choked out, his voice wrought with hysteria. "He was g-going to k-kill me." He lowered his eyes to his lap as he resumed wringing his hands.

"I-I k-killed him."

Hearing Damon's revelation, the blood drained from Elena's face. "Oh," she responded weakly, grateful that she was sitting and not standing. Had she been standing, she was positive that her legs would have given way.

What did someone say to something like that?

Elena was aware that Damon needed more help than what she was able to offer him. He needed to be taken to _Mystic Falls General _to be treated for his injuries. However, she had a feeling that Damon would oppose to the idea.

She glanced up, momentarily taken aback when she found Damon's eyes fixed on her. Finding herself overwhelmed by his gaze, she tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

"Listen," Elena began, choosing her words carefully. She bit her bottom lip before continuing, "If your dad was trying to kill you then I think we should call Sheriff Forbes. It was self-defense- she'll understand why you did it."

Hearing Elena's words, Damon's demeanour changed as he became hysterical. "No Sheriff!" He cried out, tugging harshly at his hair.

Elena's eyes widened at his actions. "Damon, stop!" She shouted out in alarm, reaching out to grasp Damon's wrist.

Releasing his grip on his hair, Damon hunched forward as he buried his hands in his face.

"We don't have to call Sheriff Forbes."

Damon did not respond.

"Damon?" Elena asked hesitantly.

Elena was about to repeat his name when her ears picked up the sounds of muffled, shuddering gasps coming from Damon. Elena's heart wrenched as she realised the sounds were of him crying. It was an awful sound.

Patting Damon's shoulder comfortingly, she pleaded, "Please don't cry."

The muffled sounds grew louder.

"Damon, look at me," Elena said quietly. Gripping his wrists, she struggled to pry his hands from his face.

Eventually, Damon relaxed his hands, allowing Elena to free them from his face.

Cupping his chin, Elena gently tilted Damon's head to face her. His eyes did not meet hers. "No Sheriff Forbes, I promise," she said to him.

She reached over to a small table, which was situated in front of the couch, and grabbed the box of tissues. She pulled out several tissues and gave them to Damon.

Elena sat back on the couch, weaving her fingers through her chestnut hair as she contemplated her next step. For a wistful moment, she found herself wishing her mother was still alive. Unlike herself, her mother was good at taking control of a situation and always had the answer to a solution. Tears began to surface in the ducts of her eyes, threatening to spill, as thoughts of her mother wove through her mind. _"Get a hold of yourself, Elena," _she scolded herself. She cleared her throat, blinking the tears away. Her mother was gone and Aunt Jenna was away. She was going to have to take control of the situation.

"We need to get you cleaned up," Elena stated, her voice taking an authoritative tone. "Why don't you go and have a shower?"

Elena's eyes searched Damon's face as she awaited his response but was met with silence.

When it became apparent that Damon wasn't going to speak, Elena continued, "You can put your clothes in the washing and I can give you some of my brother's old clothes to wear. He's 15 but he's around the same height as you- I'm sure you'll fit his clothes."

A silence ensued before Damon gruffly replied, "Okay."

Elena released a sigh of relief, grateful that he was not protesting. This was progress- albeit a small one. "Come on, I'll show you where you can shower."

Elena stood up from the couch, prompting Damon to do the same.

Leading Damon upstairs, Elena showed him to a guest room. The guest room was spacious with its own bathroom facilities. The room was feminine with its lillac walls, floral bedding and vintage furniture. It had been recently renovated- less than five months ago. Before she had passed away, Elena's mother had designed the room- hence the femininity. Despite the femininity of the room, she doubted Damon would mind sleeping in here. After all, it was a better option than the couch.

Taking Damon into the bathroom, Elena showed him how to use the shower and set the correct temperature for the water. She explained to Damon that she would leave spare clothes for him to change into when he got out of the shower.

Leaving Damon to shower, Elena left the guest room and headed to Jeremy's bedroom to find some old clothes for Damon to wear. She entered the room and headed straight for Jeremy's drawers.

Opening the drawers, Elena began searching for clothes. In the bottom drawer, she found grey sweat-pants and a white wife-beater. She took the articles of clothing before shutting the drawers. She doubted that Jeremy would notice the missing clothing.

Returning to the guest room, Elena laid out the clothes for Damon on the bed. She picked up Damon's discarded clothes and threw them into a laundry hamper. She chose to not put the leather jacket in the washing machine, in fear of damaging the jacket. With the laundry hamper in tow, Elena made her way downstairs into the laundry room. She opened the washing machine, throwing the clothes inside, and set the machine for fast cycle.

Exiting the laundry room, Elena headed into the kitchen. She sat herself down at the dining table, placing her elbows on the the table as she rested her chin in her hands.

Where to from here? Going to Sheriff Forbes was out of the question. She doubted she could persuade Damon to allow her to take him to _Mystic Falls General._ Besides, if she did take him then it wouldn't be long before law enforcement got involved. You couldn't walk into a hospital, with your face looking as if someone had used it as a punching bag, without raising suspicions. She couldn't keep him here. Aunt Jenna would be returning home in the morning and Elena doubted that she would be over-the-moon to find a stranger residing in their house. She couldn't just kick Damon out, though. As Elena mulled over her options, an idea occurred to her. The more she contemplated the idea, the more she was able to convince herself that it would work.

Elena was brought of her thoughts by the sound of feet shuffling behind her.

Whirling around, Elena found Damon lingering in doorway. He was wearing the sweat-pants and wife-beater she had laid out for him earlier. She suppressed a smile as she noticed that he had his leather jacket on. Lifting her gaze to Damon's face, Elena's eyebrows knitted in concern.

"Stay here," she ordered Damon.

Elena briskly walked upstairs into the bathroom which she shared with Jeremy. Rummaging through the bathroom cabinets, Elena looked for anything which she thought might be useful. She found a bottle of _Isopropyl Alcohol,_ a container of _Anti-Flamme_ ointment and a packet of cotton balls. Elena grabbed the items before retreating downstairs into the kitchen.

Elena walked to the dining table. "Do you mind if I clean your face up?" She asked, placing the items on the table, as she seated herself at the table.

Damon nodded his head in agreement.

Elena gave him a small smile. Using her hands, she beckoned Damon over. He followed her to the table, slumping into a chair next to her.

Opening the _Isopropyl_ bottle, Elena poured a small amount of the rubbing alcohol onto the cotton ball. "This might hurt a bit," she told Damon, giving him an apologetic smile.

Carefully, Elena began wiping the wounds on his face. A grimace set in Damon's face as he clenched his fists.

Reaching over the table to change the cotton ball, Elena's elbow inadvertently made contact with Damon's ribs.

A sharp howl emitted from Damon as he hunched forward, clutching his left side.

Elena's eyes widened in alarm. "What's wrong?" She asked, panic wrought in her voice.

Damon furiously shook his head, his face contorting in pain.

"Are you hurt somewhere else?"

"M-my ribs," he choked out, his eyes shut tight.

Elena carefully lifted Damon's t-shirt. Nausea began to stir in Elena's stomach, finding herself disturbed by what she saw.

Damon's left side was visibly swollen. Bruising stained his skin in wide splotches.

"Oh, Damon," Elena said weakly. Elena reached for the _Anti-Flamme_ container.

Opening the container, Elena began gingerly applying the ointment on Damon's ribs, careful to not exert additional pressure on his ribs. His breathing became shallow. Applying the ointment, she was aware of Damon's eyes fixed on her.

"All done," Elena announced. Standing up, she walked over to the kitchen counter and wiped the ointment off her hands with a paper hand-towel. She returned to the dining table to where Damon was seated.

"Would you like something to eat?" She asked him.

Damon shrugged his shoulders in response as he began idly drawing patterns on the surface of the table with the tips of fingers.

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm hungry!" Elena announced cheerfully, feigning enthusiasm.

Strolling over to the refrigerator, Elena pulled open the door. Examining the contents inside, her bottom lip pouted. The refrigerator was bare, save for a pizza from last night and left-over Chinese food which, if she had to guess, had been sitting inside for the past week.

Making a mental note to remind Jenna to go grocery shopping, Elena took the box of pizza out from the refrigerator and placed it on the counter. Finding a microwave-friendly plate, Elena placed the slices of pizza onto it. Opening the microwave, she pushed the plate inside and set the timer.

Once the pizza had finished reheating, Elena took out the plate and placed the slices of pizza onto separate porcelain plates for herself and Damon.

Taking the plates, Elena walked to the dining table where Damon was seated. She placed the plates on table before pulling out a chair and seating herself opposite Damon.

"Sorry, left-over pizza is all we have," she said, smiling sheepishly. With a chuckle, Elena added, "My Aunt Jenna is a terrible cook which means we have most of the take-out restaurants in Mystic Falls on speed-dial."

She picked up a slice of pizza from her plate, taking a large bite.

Elena's bottom lip pouted when she noticed Damon had not touched his plate. "Eat," she said encouragingly as she nodded her head towards his plate.

Reluctantly, Damon followed her lead as he picked up a slice of pizza and bit into it.

They ate in a comfortable silence, each immersed in their thoughts. Elena was content with the silence. She doubted that Damon was in the mood for talking, not to mention that she was able to contemplate on how to approach the subject of her far-fetched idea.

"Listen," Elena began, interrupting the silence. Damon lifted his head to hers as he waited for her to speak. She took a deep breath before continuing, "When you were in the shower, it got me thinking. My brother and I inherited a cottage from our parents when they died. It's a small cottage located two hours out of town. I was thinking you could stay there until you figure things out."

Damon's shoulders tensed. "You don't have to help me," he mumbled.

"I want to help, Damon," she said sincerely. Reaching over to place a hand over Damon's, Elena was pleased when he did not flinch at her touch.

Disbelief was etched on Damon's features. "Thank you," he muttered.

Elena gave him a small smile before returning to her pizza, the comfortable silence ensuing once more.

Once they had both finished their meals, Elena removed their plates from the table and loaded it into the dishwasher.

"You should get some sleep," Elena commented, her eyes catching sight of the clock. It was well after 4:00am. "We have to wake up early so that I can drive you to the cottage. I would take you now but the roads aren't safe to drive on this late at night."

Elena cleaned up the kitchen, wiping the table clean and disposing of the pizza box in the recycling bin before ushering Damon upstairs into the guest room.

Grabbing clean bed sheets from the linen closet, Elena replaced the old sheets as Damon watched on.

"If you want an extra blanket, just let me know."

Damon nodded his head in response.

"I'll let you get some sleep," Elena said, giving him a small smile. She spun on her feet, ready to leave the room when Damon's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Elena?" Damon spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

Elena whirled around, waiting for Damon to speak.

Damon parted his lips to say something before closing them. He reached into the confines of his leather jacket and pulled out a burgundy diary.

Elena's breath caught in her throat when she recognised the diary as her own. "My diary," she murmured to herself.

"You left it in the library," he muttered. Outstretching his hand, Damon held it out to her as he waited for her to take it.

Elena found herself frozen as she continued to stare at the diary which Damon held in his hand. She hadn't realised that she had left it in the library. How could she be so careless? One question plagued her. Did he look inside? Her private thoughts were recorded in that diary. The idea of someone reading said thoughts was enough to make her want to dig a hole and bury herself in it. _"Of course he looked inside," _Elena scolded herself.

Elena hurriedly reached out, taking the diary from his hand. She held it close to her chest in a protective manner as heat rose to her cheeks.

"It's getting late," Elena mumbled. She did not wait for his reply as she sped out of the room.

Passing her bedroom, Elena returned downstairs into the lounge. Sinking onto the couch, she leaned her head back, shutting her eyes. Her head was spinning with thoughts, refusing to rest.

If she helped Damon, surely that would make her an accessory to murder? Elena was no lawyer but she was certain that hiding him in the Gilbert cottage would make her an accomplice. Elena spotted her cell phone which was perched on a small table. A simple phone call to Sheriff Forbes and it would all be over- Damon would be in the custody of the County and Elena would be able to crawl back to her bed and pretend that tonight had been nothing but a terrible nightmare. Mulling over the idea of turning Damon in, guilt began to seep in. No, she couldn't call Sheriff Forbes. She had promised Damon that she wouldn't. She couldn't explain it but she felt a need to help him. To protect him. The vacant expression in Damon's eyes when he showed up unannounced on her doorstep- it reminded her of Jeremy after their parents had died. She had a feeling that Damon wasn't used to having anyone on his side. For reasons unknown to her, she wanted to be that person.

"Oh, Elena," she said out loud to herself, sinking herself further into the couch. "What have you gotten yourself into?"

* * *

**A/N: Your thoughts? I'd love to hear them.**


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. All characters belong to L.J. Smith & the C.W. Network. No copyright infringement intended._

* * *

It was 10:26am as Elena's bare feet padded into the guest room where Damon slept. Elena, herself, had woken up at 9:00am and was running on less than five hours of sleep. The moment Elena had opened her eyelids, last night's events, remained tucked away in the back of her mind. It was when she spotted her burgundy diary, which lay on her bedside table, did she realise that the events of the previous night were far from a dream.

While Damon slept, Elena had used this as an opportunity to drive to the local supermarket to pick up groceries for the house, using the money Aunt Jenna had left in a jar on top of the refrigerator, in case of emergencies. In addition, Elena had made sure to purchase groceries for Damon, which she had packed for him into a backpack.

Elena held a pair of blue denim jeans and a blue sweat-shirt in her arms. Having taken more clean clothes from Jeremy's closet for Damon to change into once he awoke, Elena walked to the closet in the guest-room and hung the articles of clothing inside.

As she approached the bed, Elena found herself hesitant in waking Damon up. He slept on his back, his arms limp by his sides. She took the opportunity to carefully examine his features, whilst he remained asleep. It appeared that the injuries he had suffered, at the hands of his father, had developed significantly. The bruising was prominent on his face and collarbone. The scratches on his face, although not deep, were still visible. She dreaded to think what his rib cage looked like.

"Damon?" Elena spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Damon," she repeated his name, placing a careful hand on his shoulder, as she attempted to wake him up.

Preparing to repeat his name for a third time, Damon's eyelids fluttered open, revealing the ocean-blue irises of his eyes. A wince escaped his lips as the natural light, which entered the room, made direct contact with his eyes.

"What time is it?" He asked, his voice hoarse and coated with sleep.

"It's almost 10:30," Elena answered. "Sorry for waking you up," she said, offering a sympathetic smile.

Damon simply nodded his head in response. Attempting to sit up in the Queen-sized bed, a low groan passing his lips as he did so.

Her ears picking up the low groan, Elena made a move to help Damon. Placing a steady, yet careful, hand on Damon's upper arm, Elena lifted Damon into an upright position.

"Thank you," he mumbled. As he sat upright in the bed, Damon allowed the back of his head to rest against the head-board of the bed. In an effort to conceal his eyes from the natural light, he raised a hand to his face.

"Did you sleep well?" Elena asked him. The moment the words passed her lips, she regretted it. _"How well do you think he slept, Elena?"_ She chided herself in her head.

Damon did not answer, as he gave a simple shrug of his shoulders.

"You must be hungry," Elena began, attempting a second go at conversation. "I made breakfast."

Gesturing to the clothes, which hung in the closet, she explained, "I left some more of my brother's clothes in the closet for you to get changed into."

Damon nodded his head, his mouth remaining mute.

Elena realised this was the most she would get out of Damon. "I'll leave you to it, then," she said, as she gave Damon a polite smile. "You're welcome to use the shower," she added, before leaving the room.

* * *

"We're here," Elena announced as she and Damon pulled up to the gravel driveway of the Gilbert cottage. Cutting the engine off the car, she released her seat-belt and proceeded to get out of the car with Damon following her actions.

The drive to the cottage had taken one hour and 30 minutes. Damon had spoken very little during the ride. Elena had attempted to engage him in conversation several times before deciding not to force conversation. When he was ready, he would speak. Although, she suspected, he was not much of a talker.

Opening the trunk of the car, Elena reached inside, grabbing a back-pack and duffel bag, which she had packed for Damon.

Damon's hands outstretched to take the duffel bag from Elena. Elena, seeing this, brought the bag closer to her, in an effort to dissuade Damon's actions.

"I've got this," she said, a polite smile gracing her features.

Elena began the walk up the driveway to the front porch of the cottage, the gravel crunching underneath her black Converse Chucks, with Damon following in her footsteps.

The scent of pine-cones filled Elena's nostrils. From the age of five, Elena and her family would spend their summers at the Gilbert cottage. Elena had nothing but good memories of this place. The thought that there would be no new memories was more than enough to strike a pang in Elena's heart.

Arriving at the front porch, Elena reached into the pocket of her denim jeans, pulling out a silver key. Inserting the key into the key-lock, Elena opened the door. She stepped aside, allowing Damon to enter inside first.

Stepping onto the hard-wood floors, a wave of nostalgia overcame Elena, as her eyes took in her surroundings. Everything was exactly as she remembered. From her father's collection of model air planes, which sat on a shelf, collecting dust, right down to the pencil markings on the wall where, as children, Elena and Jeremy had their heights measured by their mother. Hastily, Elena wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her pull over, before the familiar tears threatened to fall from the ducts of her eyes.

It was then Elena noticed that Damon's gaze was fixed on her, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. He parted his lips to speak. "Are you..." He began hesitantly, before closing his lips.

"Dust," Elena said simply, as she gave a dismissive wave of her hand. She cleared her throat, as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "How about I give you a tour?"

* * *

Damon and Elena were in the kitchen of the Gilbert cottage. Elena was unpacking the groceries into the pantry. She had made sure to pack enough food to last a full week. Damon, himself, was seated at the kitchen island, his finger-tips drawing patterns onto the surface of the counter. A habit of his, Elena had come to recognise.

"I think that's everything," Elena announced, as she finished unpacking the last item of food into the pantry.

Whirling around to face Damon, she asked him, "Are you hungry?" Continuing, she said, "I thought maybe we could eat outside."

Damon raised his head to meet's Elena. "Sure," he muttered in response, before returning his gaze to the surface of the counter.

"What should I make?" Elena murmured to herself. Examining the contents of the pantry, her eyes landed on a packet of store brought macaroni and cheese.

Grabbing the packet from the pantry, Elena placed it on the kitchen counter.

Walking to the cupboards, Elena opened it. Finding a pot inside, Elena took it out. She took the pot to the stove. Opening the faucet, she allowed the water to fill up the pot. She then took the pot and placed it on the stove.

She waited, with patience, until the water began to boil. Once the water was boiling, she emptied the contents of the packet into the stove.

Once the macaroni and cheese had finished cooking, Elena dished the pasta into two separate bowls for herself and Damon.

Handing Damon a bowl, Elena led the way outside to a table.

Having seated themselves at the table, Elena and Damon began to eat. Much to Elena's relief, it appeared that Damon's appetite had increased as he devoured his food.

Having finished their lunch, Elena cleared the plates from tables, taking them inside to put in the dishwasher, before returning outside.

"I could get used to this," Elena murmured to herself, her stomach content with the amount of food she had consumed.

Closing her eyelids, Elena leaned her head back, allowing herself to bathe in the ultra-violet rays of the sun. She released her long, chestnut hair from its pony-tail, running the tips of her fingers through her thick curtains of hair.

A comfortable silence ensued between Damon and Elena, as Elena indulged in losing herself in her thoughts, as they drifted to her younger brother. Earlier in the morning, she had sent several text messages to Jeremy demanding for him to ring her up. Of course, the text messages went ignored, as did the multiple calls Elena had made to his cell-phone, before it had gone to voice-mail.

Opening her eyelids, Elena was more than taken aback when she found Damon's gaze on her. Abruptly, he shifted his gaze from Elena, to the outdoor solar-shower.

Elena cleared her throat. "It's getting hot out here," she commented. "What do you say we go inside? I can show you the bedroom."

"Sure," Damon responded.

Elena proceeded to get up from her chair. Following her actions, Damon stood up.

Walking inside the cottage, Elena led the way down the hallway, which led to the bedroom.

They approached the door. Turning the door-knob, Elena opened the door.

The bedroom had two single beds. An oak-wood desk was situated in the corner of the room, a sewing machine lying on its surface. A shelf, a fixture against the wall, contained countless books.

"You can sleep in here," Elena said.

Elena watched Damon's face, as his eyes took in the sight of the bedroom.

"What do you think?" Elena asked eagerly.

Damon cleared his throat. "It's..." He began, his eyes travelling the room, before landing on a painting, which hung on the wall. The painting had been done by Elena herself, as an eight year old. "I like it," he concluded simply.

A bright smile emerged on her face. "I'm glad to hear it," she replied.

It was then that Elena's eyes caught sight of her wrist watch. "Oh, shoot," she said, the former smile no longer present. The time read as 2:33pm.

Upon hearing Elena's comment, Damon's gaze returned to Elena, confusion evident in his features, as he waited for her to continue.

"I was supposed to be on the road an hour ago," she explained. How had she failed to keep track of time? "I should get going."

Damon's eyes widened in alarm. "You're leaving?"

"I have to leave now if I want to make it back home before my Aunt Jenna arrives."

Appearing to maintain his composure, Damon nodded his head in response, shoving his hands into the pockets of the blue denim jeans he wore. Shifting his body away from Elena, he made his way to the window. He stood by the window, his eyes casting out to the thick, luscious forestry the window over-looked.

Elena bit down on her bottom lip, concerned at Damon's actions. "The earliest I can come out here is on Saturday."

When Damon did not respond, Elena made her way to the window where Damon stood.

Placing a hand on Damon's shoulder, she chose to ignore when his shoulder tensed under her finger-tips. "I promise I'll come back," she said, hoping her words would be of comfort to him.

Damon cleared this throat. "Sure, whatever you say," he simply replied.

"I..." Elena began hesitantly, finding herself bewildered at Damon's behaviour. Did he believe that she would not come back? That she would contact Sheriff Forbes, the moment she arrived in Mystic Falls and turn him in? Elena could not help but feel hurt. Did he think very little of her? Elena had made herself a promise to help him- to be that person that was on his side when no one else. She would not turn her back on him- not when the world had turned its back on him.

She was not comfortable at the thought of leaving Damon alone. Elena was well-aware that he was in need of support. To the best of her knowledge, he had no family members- no one he could turn to. The remaining family member he did have had attempted to kill him. If she was given a choice, she would take him back to Mystic Falls with her. That was far from an option, however. The moment Aunt Jenna saw Damon, she would demand Elena call Sheriff Forbes.

"Goodbye, Damon," Elena said to him. She waited for his response, before coming to the realisation that she would not receive one.

Walking to the door, Elena exited the cottage and made her way down the gravel driveway to her car.

Opening the car door, Elena got inside. She put her seat-belt on. Using her key, she turned the engine on.

As she drove away, Elena glanced at the rear-view mirror. Her eyes caught sight of Damon. He stood in the door-way of the cottage. He had followed her to see her out. A pang struck her heart as she saw him leaning against it, his shoulders hunched forward with his head lowered to the ground. With her gone, Elena hoped Damon would not do anything drastic. _"Please be alright,"_ Elena whispered to herself.

* * *

It was almost half-past four as Elena drove onto The drive home to Mystic Falls was considerably shorter than Elena anticipated. Relieved to be home at last, Elena wanted nothing more than to crawl into her bed, close her eyes, and fall asleep. What little sleep she had last night was beginning to take its toll on her, finding, as she drove, her eyelids fluttering with fatigue. Parking her car next to the pavement, Elena noticed Aunt Jenna's car was absent, which meant she had yet to arrive home. Figuring Jenna had chosen to extend her stay the University, Elena was relieved that she would not have to explain her late arrival.

Elena was about to release her seat-belt when the sound of her cell-phone stopped her from doing so.

"Hello?" She answered, failing to check the caller I.D. before answering.

"Care to explain why you decided to pull a no-show at school today?" A sharp voice demanded over the phone.

"Caroline," Elena thought to herself, slumping into her seat. Finding herself simply lacking the energy to hold a conversation with Caroline, Elena spoke, hoping to keep the conversation to a minimum.

"Hey, Caroline," she replied, mustering a cheerful tone. "I wasn't feeling well today, so I-"

"Where are you now?" Caroline's words cut her off.

"I just pulled up my house," she replied.

"Drop everything you are doing and come over to my house right away," Caroline ordered.

"Actually, I..." Elena spluttered, her words fumbling as she thought in vain of a suitable excuse she could use on Caroline.

"I won't take no for an answer," Caroline stated firmly.

Elena closed her eyes in defeat, realising Caroline would be relentless, unless she agreed. "I guess I can come over," she replied warily.

"Great!" Caroline's voice chirped happily, her former tone no longer present. "Drive safe!" She added, before ending the call.

Elena tucked her cell-phone into the pocket of her jeans. With a sigh, she turned on the engine, as she began the drive to Caroline's house.

* * *

Raising a closed fist to knock on the door of Caroline's Forbes house, Elena stepped back as she waited patiently for Caroline to answer.

Opening her mouth to release a yawn, the door swung open, revealing Caroline standing on the other side.

"Come in!" Caroline said brightly. Waving her fuchsia fingernails at Elena, she asked, "Do you mind closing the door? I just painted my nails."

"Sure," Elena replied, stepping inside Caroline's house, before shutting the door. "Where's your Mum?" She asked, as she peered down the hallway.

"Where else? She's working, of course," Caroline answered, crinkling her nose in distaste. "Come on, let's go to my bedroom."

Following Caroline to her bedroom, Elena entered the room, her eyes landing on Caroline's King-sized bed.

Walking to Caroline's bed, Elena sat herself down. "Alright," Elena said, as she made herself comfortable. "What was so important that I had to drop everything and come over?"

Caroline placed her hands on her hips. "Where were you today?" She demanded.

"I told you, I wasn't feeling well," Elena answered, as she swallowed nervously.

Caroline raised an arched eyebrow. However, as she examined Elena's face, her features softened. "You don't look too good," she commented.

Reaching over to Elena, Caroline placed the back of her hand on Elena's forehead. "You don't have a fever."

"I'm fine, Caroline," Elena said, lightly swatting Caroline's hand away from her forehead. "What's the big news?"

A wide grin appeared on Caroline's face. "I have two words for you- Tyler Lockwood."

Releasing a sigh, Elena asked, "What did he do now? Tug your pony-tail? Attempt to pull your cheer-leading skirt down?"

"Tyler has a crush on me!" Caroline blurted out, before clapping a hand over her mouth at her revelation.

Upon hearing Caroline's comment, Elena fought the urge to burst into laughter. Elena would have found Caroline admitting that she didn't use push-up bras more believable than Tyler having a crush on her best friend, Caroline. It wasn't the thought of Tyler not finding Caroline attractive- that was far from it. Caroline and Tyler could not hold a conversation for more than three minutes, without one insulting the other. The idea of one liking the other was absurd to Elena. "Tyler Lockwood? The same Tyler who told anyone who would listen that you stuffed your bra with toilet paper in Junior High?"

"It was Junior High," Caroline reasoned, dismissing Elena's comment with a roll of her eyes. "Everyone does stupid things in Junior High. Myself included."

"I was under the impression that the sight of Tyler Lockwood made you physically ill."

"That's not true!" Caroline protested. Erupting into a fit of giggles, she said, "Besides, have you seen him, without a shirt on?" She fanned herself dramatically for emphasis.

"I can't say I have," Elena said, amusement lacing her tone.

"Well, I should hope not," Caroline remarked. "Now that I have my eyes set on him, I won't hesitate to scratch the eyes out of any girl who, so much, as even looks in his direction."

"Charming," Elena replied in a teasing manner. "How did this even happen?"

Examining her finger-nails, Caroline blew hot air onto them. "Apparently, Rebekah Mikaelson overheard Tyler telling Mason that he had plans to ask me to prom."

Elena narrowed her eyes in response. "Rebekah was the one who told you this? She asked, her tone in disbelief.

Rebekah Mikaelson, the younger sister of Nick Mikaelson, was a student at Mystic Falls High. She was in the grade below Elena and Caroline. What very little Elena knew about Rebekah, it was the result of idle gossip exchanged in the girl's changing rooms. To say she was not liked by the female population of Mystic Falls High was an understatement. Rebekah's penchant for involving her with the boyfriends of other girls was one of many reasons. Despite Elena's effort to not pay too much attention to gossip of any sort, it was hard to ignore when Rebekah was the popular topic. _"Keep your eye on that on,"_ Amy Bradley had once told Elena, indicating her head to Rebekah, who was chatting enthusiastically with Matt, at a weekend party at his house. _"Everything she does is for a reason."_

Hearing the disbelief in Elena's tone, Caroline began, "I know what you're thinking." Raising her gaze from her finger-nails to meet Elena, she continued, "Rebekah may have two faces but, the way I see it, she has no reason to lie to me. She has nothing to gain from it."

Beginning to feel the effects of a migraine forming, Elena massaged her temples with her index finger and thumb. "Caroline, as happy as I am for you, you couldn't have told me this over the phone?"

Caroline's bottom lip set in a pout. "Talking to someone over the phone is not the same as talking to them in person," she protested. "Is it so bad that I wanted to talk to my best friend?"

Elena's features softened at Caroline's words. "Of course, not," she answered with sincerity, regretting her choice of words. _"I really have been a bad friend," _she thought to herself. Her forehead creased with worry. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

Caroline's eyes widened in surprise. "Why would you think that?

Before Elena could say anything further, Caroline abruptly reached over to Elena, enveloping her in a firm, yet comforting, hug. "You're my best friend, Elena. I could never be mad at you."

"Does this mean you won't be mad if I said you were hugging me too tight?" Elena asked in a teasing manner.

Caroline immediately released Elena from her hold. "Sorry," she said, offering a sheepish smile.

Elena opened her mouth to say something when Caroline stopped her.

"I almost forgot!" Caroline blurted, lightly swatting her forehead with the palm of her hand. "You missed the most interesting gossip of all today."

"Oh?" Elena replied, with mild interest, as she resisted the urge to release a yawn.

"Damon Salvatore," Caroline stated simply, as she awaited Elena's response.

At the name of Damon Salvatore, Elena's mouth ran dry. Surely, Caroline could not have known that Damon had shown up Elena's doorstep the previous night?

"What about him?" Elena responded weakly, her fingers clutching at the lavender comforter on Caroline's bed.

"Apparently, last night, Damon and his dad were the victims of a home invasion. Liz came to the school today, during first period, to explain why Damon would not be coming to class."

Liz, whom Caroline referred to, was Caroline's mother. She was better known to the town of Mystic Falls as Sheriff Forbes. Caroline's parents had divorced when she was a child. Her father, Bill Forbes, had left Liz for another man, and lived in Ohio. Despite Caroline's adamant denial, Elena always suspected she held resentment towards her mother for her father's lack of absence in her life. As a result, Caroline and her mother had a strained relationship, hence Caroline addressing her mother informally.

Finding comfort in the knowledge that Caroline was unaware of her connection to Damon, Elena felt the muscles in her body relax significantly. It was then that Caroline's words took effect. Victims of a home invasion? Did this mean that Sheriff Forbes and her team were investigating this case with the assumption that there was an unknown person who had committed the "home invasion", completely oblivious to the notion that the unknown person was Damon's father and that a "home invasion" was far from the truth. Was Sheriff Forbes searching for Damon? Considering that Damon's father was dead, surely, the first person they would want to speak with was Damon.

Attempting to feign disinterest, Elena asked, "Does your mum know what happened to Damon or his dad?"

Caroline shrugged her shoulders, examining the split-ends of her blonde curls. "Nothing that I can remember. Until today, I was always under the impression that Damon lived on the streets, rather than in an actual house."

Elena bit her tongue from responding to Caroline's comment. It was best if she did not give anything away about her involvement with Damon. Although, Caroline and her heart had the best of intentions, Elena was more than aware that informing Caroline of her recent involvement with Damon Salvatore would not be a wise choice.

"But enough about Damon," Caroline began, with a dismissive wave of her hand. "When do you think Tyler will ask me to prom?" "How do you think he'll ask me? More importantly, what will I wear to prom? If Tyler refuses to colour co-ordinate his tie with my dress, then he can say goodbye to any chance of attending prom as my date."

Caroline continued to prattle on about Tyler, completely oblivious that Elena was too lost in her own thoughts to focus on Caroline's words. Victims of a home invasion? If not in the presence of Caroline, Elena would have scoffed at the very idea. That was far from the truth. If anyone deserved to be called a victim, it was Damon, and not his father. Speaking of his father, his death meant the residents of town of Mystic Falls knew of his circumstances. Mystic Falls was a small town- word travelled fast. At the realisation that Caroline's mother was now involved, Elena's heart began thumping against her rib-cage. If anything, Caroline's news furthered Elena's determination to get herself out of the mess, in which she fallen head-first into. She had to fix the hole she had dug herself into before it was too late to crawl out. It would be four days before Elena would see Damon again. She knew what would have to be done. She would have to convince Damon to turn himself in.

* * *

**A/N: My BIGGEST apologies for the huge gaps between updates. I can't quite grasp the idea that it's been nine months since I last updated. Almost a year! Again, I am truly apologetic. Please know that I have not given up on this story.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts about this chapter. Thank you. :)**


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